Commercial cow-calf producers and seedstock breeders interested in purchasing a total performance tested bull will want to attend the 2018 Illinois Performance Tested Bull Sale. The sale will be the leadoff event of the Illinois Beef Expo.

There are 64 bulls cataloged, with 17 being longer-aged 2016 mature bulls and 47 yearlings. A breakdown of the breeds includes 37 Angus, 22 Simmental and SimAngus, and 5 Polled Hereford. The sale is scheduled for Feb. 22, at 11 a.m. and will be held in the Livestock Center on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield.

“Over the past 49 years, we’ve sold 4,690 bulls, valued at over $8.5 million,” says Travis Meteer, IPT bull sale manager. “This year, our 50th annual sale will feature some of the most elite seedstock in Illinois and the Midwest.”

The sale order will be based on a Power Score system that utilizes the economic indexes provided by the breed associations. The Power Score will be calculated on the “percentile rank” for these values. The economic indexes are $W and $B for Angus, API and TI for Simmental, and BMI and CHB for Hereford.

Along with strict requirements for superior EPDs (expected progeny differences), bulls must meet some of the most rigorous requirements in the industry. “These bulls don’t just have to pass the test… they have to pass every test,” Meteer says.

All of the bulls must meet a stringent minimum scrotal circumference for their age. Mothers of the bulls are required to test negative for Johne’s disease or come from a Level 1 or higher herd of the Voluntary Johne’s Certification Program. Bulls also must be tested free for bovine viral diarrhea (BVD) using the persistently infected (PI) ear notch screening system. All senior and January yearlings must be fertility tested. All bulls will sell with genomic-enhanced EPDs, which increases the accuracy and reliability of the EPD values. All bulls meet weight, frame, and functional soundness evaluations prior to the sale.

The 2018 IPT Bull Sale offers some of the most elite bulls found anywhere in the United States as verified by their Power Scores. The 2018 sale will feature several genetic powerhouse bulls that have low birth weights, high growth, and carcass desirability. Proven breed-leaders, AI sires, and legendary breed icons fill the pedigrees of the bulls. There are truly unique combinations of performance, pedigree, and phenotype offered through the sale, Meteer says.

The IPT Bull Sale catalog and additional supporting information can be found online at www.IPTBullSale.com. The website contains pedigree information, adjusted weights, Power Scores, and EPDs on seven different traits and two dollar value indexes. In addition, there is a list of registration numbers for all the bulls that allow prospective buyers to print a “performance pedigree” from the breed associations. Online bidding will be offered through DV Auction.

The sale is supported by University of Illinois Extension, University of Illinois Department of Animal Sciences, Illinois Angus Association, Illinois Simmental Association, Vita-Ferm, Boehringer-Ingleheim, Zoetis 50K, and ABS. For more information on the sale or bulls consigned, contact Travis Meteer at 217-430-7030 or email at wmeteer@gmail.com.